Strand handling device



" Feb. 18, 1941. L. WEAVER STRAND HANDLING DEVICE Filed Ari1 10, 1940 w. M mm. w M T A win in LR 2 v. y B

Patented Feb. 18,1941

UNITED STATES 2,232,500 STRAND HANDLING DEVICE Leo L. Weaver, Cranford, N. J., assignor to Western Electric Company, Incorporated, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application April 10, 1940, Serial No. 328,825

9 Claims.

This invention relates to a strand handling device, and more particularly to a device for threading. a strand in a plurality of successive loops about two or more multi-grooved pulleys, sheaves or the like.

In the arts which deal with the manufacture 'and use of a, large variety of strands, threads. wires, cords, and the like, there are numerous occasions upon which a strand is passed in a plurality of recurrent loops around two or more multi-grooved drums, sheaves, pulleys or the like. For example, in U. S. Patent 1,841,484, granted on January '19, 1932, to H. M. Larsen, there is shown a pair of multi-grooved sheaves over which a strand being treated runs in a plurality of con secutive loops or passes. The process of threading up such an apparatus to commence operation initially or to recommence operation after an accidental breakage of the strand, has heretofore been done usually by hand, a tedious and timeconsuming pr0cedure, often diflicult because of cramped space within the apparatus and sometimes dangerous because of heated or electrically charged elements of the apparatus in close proximity to the path of the strand.

An object of the present invention is to provide a simple, effective and reliable device for threading a strand accurately and rapidly into the successive grooves of two or more multi-grooved rotatable members such as sheaves,,pulleys, drums or the like.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention may be embodied in a guide belt comprising a strand adapted to fit into the grooves of the rotary member in question and having means to couple the two ends of the strand in side by side relation so that as the trailing end of the strand is about to leave any groove of a multigrooved member, the leading end will enter the next groove of the member.

Otherobjects and'features of the invention will appear from the following detailed description of one embodiment thereof taken in connection with the accompanying drawing in which the same reference numerals are applied to identical parts in the several figures, and in which- Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view .in side elevation of three multi-grooved sheaves over which a strand n is to be threaded by means of a guide belt constructed in accordance with the invention and showing thebelt in operating position on the sheaves;

Fig. 2 is a similar view thereof in front elevation; and

.are uniform and alike. in Fig. 3, the leading end 2| and the trailing end Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view showing the leading end of the belt entering a new groove.

For convenience let it be assumed that the upper sheave Ill is keyed or otherwise rigidly secured to its shaft H, and that this shaft may be driven from any suitable motor means (not shown). Further let the sheaves I2 and It be idler sheaves, freely rotatable either with or on their respective shafts l3 and I5. Each of the sheaves is provided, as shown, with a plurality of circumferential grooves l6, I1 and I8 in the respective sheaves, in which a strand I9 is to be threaded in a series of recurrentloops over the two sheaves l0 and H, to be tensioned by the sheave 12, which may be thought of as adjustable for thispurpose toward and from the plane joining the axes of the shafts H and 15.

To effect this threading, the belt 20 is placed initially in the position. shownin Fig. 2, but in the first grooves IBI, Ill and l8l of the three sheaves instead of in the third grooves as shown. The body of the belt generally is preferably a smooth surfaced strand of across-section adapted to fit closely into and of material-adapted to cling frictionallyin the grooves. Thus in the particular instance illustrated, the grooves are V- shaped and the cross-section of-the belt is a corresponding rhombus. In other cases it might be square, circular, elliptical or of other form to correspond to grooves of other shapes. In the present instance the belt may be thought of as of leather or rubber coated textile material or-other suitable substance.

The two ends of the strand are not abutted and joined coaxiallysend to end as in ordinary belts. Instead, they are overlapped a short distance and coupled together side by side to stand with their axes substantially parallel to each other and definitely spaced as far apart as the central planes of any two neighboring grooves [6, H or l8, it being assumed that the spacings of these grooves As here shown, and best 22 of the belt are spaced the required distance apart'by a spacing member or block 23 interposed between them, and are rigidly held to the block and to each other by removable coupling bolts 24 passing through the belt ends and the block. Where the coupled and so endless belt cannot be merely slipped into place over the ends of the sheaves to lie in the first grooves, the bolts 24 may be removed and the belt threaded into position and then coupled.

While in many instances it will be satisfactory unbroken strand of inextensible material as described, it may be preferred in some cases to have the belt longitudinally elastically extensible. In such a case the body of the belt may be a helix of spring wire or a suitably shaped strand of soft vulcanized rubber or otherwise made to be generally elastically extensible. Or the expedient adopted in the belt shown in the drawing may be used. Here a short portion of the inextensible belt body is remOved at any convenient point between its ends, and is replaced by a short length of suitable helical tension spring 25. If preferred, several such springs may be inserted into the belt. It is then necessary that each such length of spring should be so coupled in place and so proportioned to the apparatus on which it is to be used that it will not be extended sufflciently, when approaching any sheave in operation, to throw the ends of the belt body which it joins sufiiciently out of alignment to cause the belt to rotate.

The belt having been placed in the grooves IGI, Ill and l8l, the leading end of the strand I9 is coupled to the trailing end 22 of the belt. This may be done directly, by any suitable means, or, as here shown, by means of a towing spring 26 attached at its forward endto the trailing belt end 22, and having the leading end of the strand I9 secured to its rear end, e. g. by a knot as indicated at 21.

The shaft II may then be set in motion to drive the sheave If! in the direction of the arrow of Fig. 1. The sheave ID will then drive the belt 20 and thereby the sheaves l2 and M. Fig. 2 shows the state of afiairs as the belt is completing its second circuit of the sheaves from its initial position on them. The trailing end 22 of the belt is about to lay the leading end of the strand l9 into the third one of the grooves l8 of the sheave l4, while the leading end of the belt is about to lead the belt into the fourth oove of the samesheave. Thus at each circuit of the belt around the sheaves, the belt automatically steps along another groove on each sheave, drawing the strand l9 along behind it and laying the strand in the desired succession of loops or passes about the sheaves. As the belt comes away from the last groove of the lastsheave, the drive of the sheave I0 is stopped and the belt detached from the strand l9 and removed from the apparatus, leaving the strand completely threaded in place on the sheaves.

The embodiment herein disclosed is illustrative and may be modified and departed from variously without departing from the spirit and scope oi the invention as pointed out in and limited only by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A device for threading a strand in successive loops about a plurality of multi-grooved rotatable members, the said device comprising a flexible elongated member to extend around the plurality of rotatable members and having its ends overlapped and secured in side by side relation.

2. A device for threading a strand in successive loops about a plurality of multi-grooved rotatable members, the said device comprising a flexible elongated member to extend around the plurality of rotatable members, and means to secure the ends of the flexible member together in overlapping side by side relation.

3. A device for threading a strand in succes- 2,232,500 to have the body of the belt a single, entire and sive loops about a plurality of multi-grooved rotatable members, the said device comprising a flexible elongated member to extend around the plurality of rotatable members and having its ends overlapped and secured in side by side relation, in combination with means to attach the leading end of the said strand to the trailing end of the flexible member.

4. A device for threading a strand in succes-' sive loops about a plurality of multi-grooved rotatable members, the said device comprising a flexible elongated member to extend around the plurality of rotatable members, and means to secure the ends of the flexible member together in overlapping side by side relation, in combination with means to attach the leading end of the said strand to the trailing end of the flexible member.

5. A device for threading a strand in successive loops about a, plurality of multi-grooved rotatable members, the said device comprising a flexible longitudinally elastic elongated member to extend around the plurality of rotatable members and having its ends overlapped and secured in side by side relation, in combination with longitudinally elastic means to attach the leading end of the said strand to the trailing end of the flexible member.

6. A device for threading a strand in successive loops about a plurality of multi-grooved rotatable members, the said device comprising a flexible longitudinally elastic elongated member to extend around the plurality of rotatable members, and means to secure the ends of the flexible member together in overlapping side by side relation, in combination with longitudinally elastic means to attach the leading end of the said strand to the trailing end of the flexible member.

7. A device for threading a strand in successive loops about a plurality of multi-groovedrotatable members, the said device comprising a flexible belt to extend around the plurality of rotatable members and consisting of a single flexible elongated member shaped in cross-section to flt the grooves of the members, and means.

to securethe ends of the flexible member together in overlapping side by side relation.

8. A device for threading a strand in successive loops about a plurality of multi-grooved rotatable members, the said device comprising a flexible belt to extend around the plurality of rotatable members and consisting of a single flexible elongated member shaped in cross-section to fit the grooves of the members, and means to secure the ends, of the flexible member together in overlapping side by side relation, in combination with means to attach the leading end of the said strand to the trailing end of the flexible member. 

